DUBAI: Kenyan-born Italian-Somali chef Mohamed “Mo” Ponzo has carved out a distinguished career in Michelin-starred restaurants and other top-tier establishments.
His passion for cooking was sparked in the family kitchen, where he cooked alongside his grandmother, aunt, and sisters. One of his earliest memories is of cutting mango — his favorite fruit — which also resulted in his first knife injury aged just four.
Ponzo always enjoyed the family coming together around the dinner table, sampling the home-cooked dishes. He says he believes cooking to be “the purest form of love.”
Berenjak UAE is an outpost of the acclaimed London restaurant. (Supplied)
A defining moment came when, aged 10, he found himself cooking for his grandmother and great-grandmother while the family was away. The only dish he could prepare was tomato sauce with fresh peas and a store-bought Somali bread called mufoo.
“I couldn’t feed the people I loved properly,” he recalls. It was then that he made a promise to himself: “In the future, I would be able to cook anything I want for the people I love.”
Ponzo has gone on to gain industry recognition including a spot on season 15 of “Masterchef: The Professionals” and being named a Rising Star by Soho House in 2018.
Today, Ponzo is the brand chef at Berenjak UAE — an outpost of the acclaimed London restaurant. His branch was awarded a Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide this year.
Indian lamb. (Supplied)
Here, he discusses common kitchen mistakes and his favorite dish, and offers a chocolate mousse recipe.
What’s your top tip for amateur chefs?
Always taste your food as you cook and adjust seasoning accordingly. This helps ensure your dish is well balanced and flavorful at the end.
What one ingredient can instantly improve any dish?
Fresh herbs are always good, but for me it’s butter. Always add loads of butter. It’s so versatile. At different temperatures, it has different aromas and characteristics. A tablespoon of butter can make a huge difference in a dish.
When you go out to eat, do you find yourself critiquing the food?
I think it’s natural for people who are passionate about food to notice details when they’re eating out.
Saddle of salt marsh lamb. (Supplied)
What’s the most common issue that you find in other restaurants?
Inconsistency. You can go one day and it’s perfect and during your next visit it’s a totally average experience. Restaurants can achieve greater consistency by being in constant touch with their suppliers and demanding the best produce available, ensuring top quality on a daily basis. And, most importantly, training their team to detect and maintain that consistency.
What’s your favorite cuisine?
I enjoy Indian and classical French cuisines for their bold flavors and use of many cooking techniques.
What’s your go-to dish if you have to cook something quickly at home?
Linguine with tomato and anchovy sauce with loads of olive oil and parsley. It’s healthy and packed with flavor, and it’s quick to make.
What behavior by customers most annoys you?
Asking to amend or rearrange a dish that has taken a chef many hours to develop. It definitely changes the experience and the taste that the chef was trying to convey to his customers. Obviously if it’s due to allergies then that’s completely fine. Another thing is being rude to waitstaff.
His branch was awarded a Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide this year. (Supplied)
What’s your favorite dish to cook and why?
My favorite dish would be my auntie’s spaghetti Bolognese. Every day after school, I hoped it would be a spaghetti Bolognese day. I have watched — and helped — her make it a hundred times, but I still cannot make it as good as her. She just has her own touch.
What’s the secret to a great kabab?
There’s no real secret to be honest. It’s about the quality of the meat and good charcoal. Quality is always key.
As a head chef, what are you like?
Maintaining a balance between being assertive and supportive is crucial in any leadership role.
RECIPE: Chef Mo’s chocolate mousse
Chocolate mousse. (Supplied)
(NOTE: Requires ice cream machine and blow torch)
INGREDIENTS
For the chocolate mousse: 150g butter (unsalted); 300g dark chocolate (74%); 4 egg yolks; 6 egg whites
For the sorbet: 500g strawberry purée; 500g water; 200g sugar; 30g glucose; 150g lemon verbena; 5g Stabilizer
For the lemon verbena gel: 200g lemon verbena; 300g water; 100g sugar; 6g agar agar
For the chocolate soil: 100g plain flour; 100g white caster sugar; 100g unsalted butter; 25g cocoa powder
For the wild strawberries: 200g wild strawberries; 100g lemon verbena; 1 lemon; 10g sugar
INSTRUCTIONS:
For the mousse:
1) Melt the chocolate and butter together, cool slightly, then add the egg yolks and whisk.
2) In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until a stiff peak forms.
3) Fold the egg whites and the chocolate mixture together.
4) Pipe into round ring molds and set.
5) Place in fridge until set.
For the sorbet:
1) Place the water, sugar and glucose in a pan and bring to boil. Add the verbena and take off the heat. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes.
2) Add the strawberry purée and stabilizer.
3) Pour the mixture into the sorbet machine and churn until set.
For the gel:
1) Place the verbena, water, and sugar in a blender and blend for one minute.
2) Transfer the mixture to a pot and bring to the boil. Add the agar agar and boil for two minutes.
3) Transfer to a tray and set in the blast chiller.
4) Once set, blend the gel till it becomes smooth, then pass through a sieve.
5) Place it in a squeezy bottle.
For the chocolate soil:
1) Preheat oven to 165°C
2) Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix until you get a crumbly texture
3) Transfer to a tray and place in preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes.
4) Transfer to a container and keep at room temperature.
For the strawberries:
Place the strawberries, sugar, verbena leaves, lemon zest and lemon juice in a bowl. Place in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Serving:
1) Make sure the sorbet and chocolate mousse are set.
2) Remove the chocolate mousse from the mold using a blow torch (briefly warming the outside of the molds so the mousse comes out easily).
